Rewatching Tottenham's horror show against Atlético Madrid confirms that in a season of disasters, this is perhaps the biggest. The opening 20 minutes at the Wanda Metropolitano were almost unbelievable, with players slipping, miskicking, and collapsing under pressure. Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky had a night to forget, slipping twice and kicking the ball against his own standing leg, leading to two goals.
The match reached a bizarre low when a 79-year-old Harry Redknapp had to rule himself out of a return to manage Spurs. Redknapp said, 'It's probably not going to happen, is it? Would I go back? Of course I would, but I doubt very much it's going to happen.' The fact that some fans were disappointed suggests the depths to which the club has sunk.
Igor Tudor, the current manager, hilariously noted Spurs were in the game for the first three minutes. By the fourth minute, Atlético led 1-0. By the 14th minute, it was 3-0, with Kinsky substituted after his second calamitous error. The commentator Bill Leslie summed it up: 'This could be a very, very long night for Tottenham Hotspur.'
Spurs have now lost four consecutive games, and with a trip to Liverpool looming, things could get even worse. The decision-makers are giving Tudor one more chance, but the mood among fans is one of despair. As one observer put it, 'It's incredibly rare to watch a game and not really believe what's happening in front of your eyes.'
